McDonald’s Tests Mobile Messaging Coupons

Filipino customers at McDonald’s will be able to get a free day’s worth of SMS messaging and mobile chat app access with the purchase of an upgraded McSavers meal, Mobile Commerce Daily reported. The deal was worked out with prepaid phone provider Smart Communications to offer the free pass for Smart subscribers.

“Any promotion that links the consumer to the brand in a real tactile way and provides value, is going to do quite well,” said Michael Weaver, senior vice president for business development with mobile messaging cloud platform Waterfall to MCD. “SMS is a relatively inexpensive way to drive behavior, generate a conversation, and provide real value to the consumer.”

From now until April 21, customers in the Philippines who upgrade their meals with either fries or a sundae will receive peel-off cards as coupons for Super Messaging 10 (for the texts) and Smart Talk & Text (for the app access) without needing a Wi-Fi connection. The customer texts the codes to a specific number that hooks them up to Smart’s network for the day upon purchase of eat-in, take-out, or delivery orders. The codes can be redeemed anytime up until June 21.

“Smart is proud to partner with McDonald’s, which has established itself as a happy place where Pinoys can get together and create real-life connections – much in the same way that Smart, as the country’s leading mobile network, has enabled Pinoys to keep meaningful interactions with their loved ones anytime and anywhere through mobile technology,” said Charles A. Lim, head of the Wireless Consumer Division at Smart, about the arrangement.

McDonald’s has been experimenting with new incentives and payment methods for customers. For the 12 days leading up to Valentine’s Day, McDonald’s held a promotion where customers could pay for their food with random acts of kindness. McDonald’s was also an early adopter of Apple Pay, and is one of the payment method’s Top 5 merchants to date. Mark Beccue of Mark Beccue Consulting told MCD that these approaches demonstrate how McDonald’s “understands the core foundations of marketing.”

“They know their audiences and markets are a mosaic and that one market strategy does not fit all,” he remarked.